The first mermaid
by UnapologeticLatinFangirl
Summary: Before the war of the clans erupted 3000 years ago everything was balanced, and even the clan of the merfolk ruled fairly over the seven seas with the blessing of Archangel Tarmiel. After the war was put to an end, this sacred clan who guarded the feral magic of the ocean was obliterated from Britannia, or at least that's what everybody thought until now...Rating for future ideas.
1. Chapter 1

**3000 years after the war**

Anna was just strolling through Camelot as she normally did when she had a free day. No mage training with Merlin, her mentor, and no keeping an eye over Arthur, her dearest friend; it was just a day for her to relax in the pond at the nearby forest. Since she held a title of holy knight, it was a requirement for her to go around with a full armor, but today was a day for herself, so it took everyone a couple of extra seconds to recognize her without her silver garments, thing she was grateful for from the bottom of her heart; everybody knew she was the king's bodyguard, so they would start to tick her off about a favor or two if she wasn't clear enough about the motive of her visit. Usually, the path that led to the forest was full of people thriving to enter the rising kingdom to sell their products, but for her luck, today were only passing a few people who seemed not to be merchants, due to their good manners. This made reaching the forest a nice and peaceful trip for her; once the path seemed long lost, Anna got down from her horse and started guiding it deep into the forest, until they reached their destination. This was the only pond in the forest, and was hidden deep into bushes and trees that, aside from an only opening right above the pond, made it difficult to reach or even see. As soon as she secured her horse to a branch, Anna got rid of her cape, boots and dress so she could stay in the garments that covered her both while in mermaid and human form: a top and a skirt.

As soon as she started walking towards the middle of the lake she recited her incantation _Aquarius, return my scales_ and leaped forward, letting her body transform into her real appearance, the first seen mermaid in over 3000 years and member of the merfolk clan, at the time she got in contact with her element. She truly became another woman when she transformed, since her auburn hair turned sky blue, the hazel eyes turned violet and both legs were replaced by a beautiful deep blue - almost black - fish tail. Once she was fully immersed and fully enjoying being herself again, the realization of the lack of sea salt was enough make her feel utter repulsion, but when she remembers the lack of a nearby coast it's enough to let her settle for a small pond every once in a while to stretch her fins; after all, staying in human form took a fair amount of magical energy that resulted tiresome after a couple of days. She yearned the ocean, and even though Merlin sometimes took her to a beach with the pretext that she needed to train with the source of her own magic power, both their work in Camelot was far too great to leave it for a whole afternoon with the recurrence it needed to be done for a full master of the ocean's magic.

 _At the castle_

\- Anna! Anna! Where are you? - shouted the young king Arthur as he walked down the corridors of his castle, catching every nearby person's attention.

\- Lady Anna went to the forest your Highness; she said she wanted to train there by herself - said a maid gently as she approached Arthur.

\- Oh...I see, thank you very much! Please tell Merlin that I'm going to be with Anna for a while, and that I'll return later with her - shouted Arthur, for he was already running towards the stables.

Arthur hated with all his might to feel like he was locked down in the palace for being the king, so whenever the maids and guards told him that Anna was in the forest, he was sure to follow her there; even if she was his personal bodyguard, they could innocently enjoy her free day as friends, unlike how everybody else liked to point out due to appearances and the fact that he should be looking to wed a girl worth of the title of queen.

 _Back at the forest_

Anna was just sitting in the muddy and disgusting bottom of the pond, admiring her nautilus necklace and wondering how Merlin found it in the first place if it was supposed to be in the depths of the ocean. It was said that the archangel Tarmiel gave this necklace containing a powerful spirit of the ocean, Aquarius, to the chief of the merfolk so that he or she could be the protector of the seven seas, but after the war between the goddess and demon clan wiped almost completely the merfolk from Britannia, it was deemed lost and the ocean was left with no guardian, leaving it's mysterious and feral magic power unprotected. Merlin said she found it while looking for magical artifacts for her collection, and when she found her unconscious on a beach and took her in, she found it right to give it to her. This resulted in Anna to having so many unresolved questions of herself, her own race, the source of her magic and so, that she didn't pay attention to the human that was lurking outside, waiting for the exact moment to jump into the water to look after her.

When she heard a loud _splash_ into the water she froze. _Did somebody find me? I'm fucked if anybody knows I'm not human_. She was ready to summon just a bit of her magic to repel the intruder, just a water-made serpent would be enough to scare someone and she strived for that person to start some gossip about how that pond was enchanted or something, until she recognized the boy with amber locks, fully submerged into the water and eagerly trying to find her. The fear suddenly disappeared and she could only just laugh at the futile tries of her friend to actually be able to see her underneath the water with human eyes; however, the fright wouldn't go unnoticed, so it was time to scare Arthur. Anna carefully swam until she was positioned underneath the king's feet so she could just grab them and unexpectedly pull him to her level. She blushed a little when she noticed he was only in his underwear, and even in the water it would cling to his body in a very eyeing-worthy image, but for his bad luck it wasn't enough to distract her from her mischievous plan.

Arthur was sure that this was the pond that both he and Anna discovered in of their little adventures when they were younger so the mermaid could freely swim without fear of being exposed, so why wasn't she there? Of course he couldn't see deeper into the pond due to all the dirt and plants, so it always made him uneasy to swim without Anna in circumstances like that one. He was so concentrated looking for his favorite mermaid that he didn't notice the pair of hands that grabbed his ankles, of course, until he was pulled into the water. He didn't breathe before the pull, so he ended up swallowing water, which when he managed to return to the surface made him cough it up, and gained a loud laughter from his supposed bodyguard.

\- Are you crazy? You could have killed me! What kind of bodyguard tries to kill her boss? -

\- Hahaha oh please, don't be such a crybaby! That serves you right for scaring the crap out of me when you jumped into the water -

Both friends laughed it off and enjoyed their time together. Ever since he pulled out Excalibur and became king of Camelot he could hardly ever be with Anna like they used to when they were younger, he missed that, and even looking at her felt like something out of place now; every "royal manners" professor told him that he should mind himself around Anna because princesses wouldn't like her around, but some time ago he used to only look at her like both an asexual and genderless being that was his most precious friend in the entire world; however, now he _had_ to recognize her as the woman she was, not only because he was told to do so, but because it was something inevitable. Soft lips, incredibly delicate skin for a holy knight, big and deep eyes that could pierce through your soul, the slight hourglass figure with toned legs and harmonically waving hips due to the fish tail...it was impossible to not acknowledge her beauty both as a mermaid and as a human.

The same sensation pierced through Anna's mind as if they were both connected. It wasn't until a year or so that she started looking at Arthur with eyes that went beyond the friendship line, something that got her quite the speech from the handmaids about the proper behavior of a lady; it really did a number on her attention range when she focused on the tangled yet stylish way that his amber hair wouldn't keep in place, the gleam over those dazzling violet eyes that transmitted honesty and optimism and, of course, the very toned and exercised body of a king worthy enough of the holy sword Excalibur itself, from the abs, to the back, to his arms, and everything down below that she has seen while being in the pond. The fact that he was just in his underwear wasn't a problem about five years ago, but now it was awfully distracting and a big curiosity detonator. Thankfully, the sunset was enough to pull out both of them out of the other's charm to realize they were running late for their return to the castle.

\- It's getting late, we should return before Merlin sends some guards to look for us -

\- Don't worry, I asked a maid to tell her that I would be here with you and that we will be returning together - said Arthur, with a little hope that Anna would like to stay just a bit more.

\- We are leaving anyway, I'm sure that everyone is thinking how outrageous it is for the king to be mingling with his female bodyguard. _Aquarius, lend me a human form_ \- the mermaid, a little annoyed, recited her incantation and filled with awe the face of his friend as he observed, astonished, how the blackish scales along with the fins disappeared to let the skin and a pair of legs take place, the blue hair turned auburn and the violet eyes returned to a hazel color. He blushed a little at the sight of a little top and skirt that were barely covering the necessary parts of Anna's body.

Both stepped outside of the pond and took a different path so each could change into their clothes. It was hard for both of them to not peek at the other, but they found it disrespectful since Anna was a woman (in Arthur's POV) and Arthur was her king (in Anna's POV). Later on, the short trip to Camelot was quite the same as it has always been when those two went together on horse rides: calm and full of chatter, jokes and casual flirt that, while neither of them believed it to be sincere, it was as serious as it could get. When they arrived, they were greeted by a pair of guards who took their horses to the stable and a maid who told them that Lady Merlin was asking for the king and his bodyguard in her royal laboratory. Since it was none other that their mentor, especially in Anna's case, they decided it was for the best to just go and let her bear with the stench of muddy water instead of making her wait any longer so that she could transport them there with magic when she pleased in what could possibly be a bad moment.

\- Come in - called the mage as she heard a gentle knocking on the door of her magical research facility, or "laboratory" as the people used to call it for short.

\- Hey Merlin, what did you need us for? - asked casually the king as he freely made his way into the room that no one but him and Anna dared to enter.

\- Nice seeing you both, and...ugh, what is that smell? - asked the mage with a notorious dislike.

\- Pond water with mud, I was in the forest until his majesty here decided to join me and...let's just say that he got dragged into a stinky situation for it -

\- Please go and bathe when I finish...Anyway, I believe you have heard that Liones' king, Bartra, has fallen ill - both Anna and Arthur nodded - Well, I don't trust a lot the version that are proclaiming their holy knights, so us three are leaving to Liones tomorrow morning -

\- Don't you think is a little risky if their holy knights are as suspicious as you think they are? - asked Anna, letting her pure preoccupation for Arthur's safety to slip away.

\- That's exactly why we need to go, but don't worry, I have full confidence that both you and Arthur can take care of yourselves -

\- And weren't you considered a criminal in Liones? You know, for the whole Seven Deadly Sin's Boar of Gluttony thing - naively asked Arthur.

\- Yet again, don't worry, I have thought of everything. I'll go with a disguise and you two will distract the two Great Holy Knights so I can check on the king, I just hope that we make it in time if he is as sick as I've heard -

Both teens were left with no more option than to nod and step outside of the laboratory so they could retreat to their own chambers, until Merlin called for Anna.

\- Anna! Wait, come quick! - whispered the mage, clearly being careful to not call for the attention of any living being in the proximities and signaling her apprentice to quietly hurry.

\- What is it? -

\- I know you have been a holy knight for a while now, and I'm sorry that you have been reduced to use a common sword for protecting Arthur, but I'm proud to say that those days are over - claimed Merlin as she took out of a shelf a black box and opened it - from today onwards, this is your own...let's call it...sacred treasure -

\- No way...you are totally kidding me - Anna muttered, she couldn't believe her eyes as Merlin handed her the opened box with a beautiful golden lasso that had a handle that resembled a giant sea snake with sapphires as it's eyes - How did you even got this done? I thought they only made them in Liones and for the sole purpose to be wielded by the Seven Deadly Sins -

\- Yes, they were, but since you are no ordinary holy knight, I thought it would be best for you to have a weapon that could draw out your magical and physical power both as a mermaid and a human. It's not a sacred treasure like Diane's Guideon, King's Chastiefol or the rest of the originals, but I think it's the perfect title for a weapon so especially made -

Anna could barely hear the words that her master was speaking, she was totally amazed by the beauty of _her_ weapon and the thoughtfulness of the gift itself since nobody but Merlin has ever done something like that for her. Without even thinking, she reached out to grab it, until the sapphires started gleaming and the lasso took life; it startled Anna, but still she let it move towards her right arm in a backwards motion as it embraced her whole forearm and settled the head over her hand. After it stopped moving, Anna could just lift her arm in fascination as she admired how it also doubled as a fancy bracelet. Merlin just chuckled at how her apprentice hugged her with all her love, appreciation and might for a gift so personal.

\- It is called Kraken, and it will not only cause great damage, but it will also let you channel your magic while in human form so you can also physically hit with it - explained Merlin softly while tracing her finger over the weapon.

\- And what about my mermaid form? You said that I could also use it while being myself -

\- You will see it when the time comes, now go to bed Anna, tomorrow will be quite the day -

Anna was beaming with happiness at the sight of her weapon. Finally she was getting rid of big swords that were nothing more than a burden and obtaining something more of her taste; she was really hoping that tomorrow would bring her a fight with an opponent who could make her explore her weapon at it's fullest, but she was also worried about it having another form that corresponded to her actual being. Nobody, except Merlin and Arthur, knew about her true identity, so how could she even start to imagine exposing herself to an actual enemy if the time were to come? Wasn't her human-self strong enough to prevent it? Those were the kind of thoughts that clouded her mind as she bathed.

The hot water from the tub was making her dizzy at this point, but she has always liked to stay a little too long. The scent of the vanilla bathing oil that Arthur so generously got her as a present was the only thing that could easily bring her to a calm state, well, that and singing. When she and Merlin were on their own she used to sing freely because her mentor was not caught in the charms of the merfolk's voice, but ever since Arthur joined them she has kept it to a minimum to spare him of doing something either utterly ridiculous or dangerous; and the little habit only got more reprimanded once the trio moved into de castle. But tonight was different because Anna needed to feel herself, to feel that she wasn't ignoring her roots, so without a second of doubt, she started humming a lullaby that Merlin sang for her every once in a while.

Humming escalated to whispers, and soon enough, the song could be heard through the bathroom windows. Guards and maids nearby started to fall in peaceful sleep, and a particular boy was smiling as he remembered the days when his best friend would sing to herself as a mermaid and how he loved to spy on the girl when she did that; even if it meant the possibility of drowning, he was sure she would be there to pull him back to the surface. Arthur was sure that Anna didn't transform in the tub because he was only getting sleepy and not actually sleepwalking, and thought about how grateful he felt that her bedroom was right next to his due to all the bodyguard situation. He didn't remember when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, he couldn't go back to that peaceful state, so he decided that the best course of action was looking for the source of the singing.

Anna was just laying over her bed while staring at Kraken, until she heard a familiar knock on her door. She was sure that it was Merlin to give her a sermon about how careless it is for her to sing in a crowded place, so she walked towards her door practicing her puppy eyes in hope that she could let her get away with just this one, but the one that appeared on her door was none other than Arthur.

\- What are you doing here? Do you have any idea about what time is it, and the problem that we are going to get into if somebody sees you? -

\- You were singing and that's how I could manage to sleep, but I woke up and don't feel like it unless you sing again - Arthur casually smirked while leaning forward, as if asking permission to enter the girl's room.

\- Look, you are acting like a spoiled child. I shouldn't have done it in the first place and there's no way that I'll do it again, so start counting sheep or something Arthur - angrily whispered Anna as she was closing the door, until a firm hand stopped her from doing so to let the boy slip into the chamber quickly - Are you insane?! I'm not having it from the maids if anybody manages to find you here. GET OUT -

\- Please, I'm begging you. When was the last moment we got to spend like this? I barely even see you or Merlin without the obligation of being king...and I really need to be just us sometimes - whispered Arthur while using the puppy-eyes technique to disguise the sadness behind his words.

Anna couldn't bear it, he was annoyingly cute. She reluctantly agreed to Arthur's petition, so while the boy approached the bed, Anna proceeded to lock the door so that the maids could be kept outside of her room in the morning. Since they met while in their preteen age and with Merlin as the only responsible adult, they were quite used to sharing blankets and even beds, but now it was seen as offensive to Arthur's possible wives and not the "proper lady thing to do" for Anna, even if she was a holy knight and not your usual princess-like lady. As soon as she sat on the bed, Arthur's head made it to her lap as he hugged her waist; it was with the intention to make Anna run her hand through his hair in the way that would make him drowsy, but it actually made her blush madly due to the view he was giving her: a toned back and a perfectly shaped butt. The only common response was to chuckle at this, _how is it that somebody can be so cute and yet so hot? Damn you Arthur._ Anna started singing her favorite lullaby in a low voice so that less people around her bedroom could fall asleep, and at the same time she started stroking Arthur's hair the way he liked it; by the time that she was done singing, she noticed that her friend was soundly sleeping while still hugging her from the waist. It would have been a crime to transport him to his room while looking so peaceful and happy in his dreams, so Anna let it slide this time and let Arthur spend the night with her.

\- Goodnight Arthur, have sweet dreams - whispered Anna before planting a soft kiss on Arthur's forehead.

 _So this is how it feels to love someone...I wish it wasn't like this..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As the sun rose up and the birds started singing, that's when Arthur woke up. The familiar scent of vanilla curiously made him turn around and found out that he didn't sleep alone; he was in Anna's room. He found it strange to be there since he thought that she would transport him to his room next door as soon as he fell asleep, but seeing her there, so peacefully sleeping, made him forget every doubt and enjoy that magical moment. The fact that Anna took piety of him last night and sang him a lullaby so he could sleep was sweet, but this, he thought, was on a whole new level of letting him get away with what he wanted; he was on the verge of begging to stay with her last night, but he didn't imagine the girl actually letting him. Arthur turned to see her and take that image of her face as a prize, but she was facing the window, and he could only see the long strands of hair sprawled across the pillow, and her figure wrapped around the sheets they just shared the night before.

 _You've got to be kidding me...how is it that nobody told me how perfect it was to wake up like this?_

When he stood up from the bed, Arthur could only think about how much he wanted to watch the face that the hair was hiding. He just kneeled before Anna's peaceful look while she was still dreaming, and decided to take the risk of moving away some locks of her hair to get a better view; sadly for him, it was just enough to wake her up.

\- Hey...good morning - Anna managed to say while rubbing her eyes - Ever heard of personal space? It's kinda rude to wake people up like that - she just laughed at her friend's blushing face.

\- And what did you expect my lady? A kiss and a hug from behind while I spooned you? - suggested Arthur with a flirty hint over his voice, which made Anna blush madly and look away from the violet eyes that could read her like an open book.

\- Come on, it's too early for this, let me transport you to your room - Anna started getting up from her bed as she said those words, and gave Arthur a full view of her nightgown: a short, white, button-shirt-like dress with the first few buttons undone, so it gave a generous view of her cleavage. He was just grateful that he didn't notice it the night before or only the goddesses would have known what could have happened in that room.

\- Umm...sure...no problem - muttered the young king, trying to not stare too much at Anna, who was innocently tying her hair in a ponytail, but at the same time was giving him better access to stare at her butt since the whole dress went up with the rise of her arms.

Anna still had plenty to learn from Merlin, like how to transport herself and multiple people to distant locations, but right now she was good enough to get Arthur to his room in one piece. She almost forgot about him sleeping with her last night, so when he woke her up without being over her or at least a with hand lying over a private area, she almost reacted to the instinct of defending herself and attack; although, maybe if he had woken her up in a way he suggested, she may had prevented them from even getting up. _Get a hold of yourself girl! He's the KING, bearer of Excalibur itself and you are a mere knight!_ It was obvious that she longed something more than friendship from Arthur, but it was simply selfish of her even thinking about it since he had to marry a girl that would bring benefits to Camelot, not just your usual holy knight; besides, he only flirted with her because he was a tease, not because he actually meant it. They have spent far too many years together as friends and travel companions that, at this point, there was nothing about the other that they wouldn't know, both emotionally and physically speaking, so it was more than clear that her feelings were not responded.

At the moment that Arthur appeared into his own room, he rushed into the bathroom so he could bathe with the coldest water he could manage to get. How was it possible that, after all these years, he was getting these kind of reactions from seeing Anna in something a little revealing? He was starting to lose himself around her, and it was nothing but bad news for him. She was starting to invade his mind everyday at all hours, preventing him from paying attention at all times until they had finally a moment to chat and be friends, even if it was recommended for the pair to keep things professional. This was only because for the past three months everyone, except for Anna and Merlin, has been nagging him about considering finding a girl fit to be the queen of Camelot, but when those thoughts came into his mind, he could only think about Anna, the possibility of choosing her, and how he was not willing to let go of her just because of the probability of a bratty princess being jealous of her constant presence in the court. The cold water helped him get back to Britannia, so he stepped out of his bathroom to change and run towards the dining room, where Merlin was sure to be angrily waiting for him and Anna.

Merlin was starting to get annoyed at the lack of punctuality both her apprentice and the king had. They were supposed to wake up early in the morning to grab breakfast while recalling the plan and leave as fast as they could to Liones, and now it was nearly 8 o' clock and neither of them had appeared. She was starting to consider the idea of transporting them to the dining room in whatever condition they were, until she heard the footsteps of two people running and approaching her. When they appeared, Arthur and Anna rushed to their seats near Merlin without even looking at each other nor greeting her and started to eat and drink as if nothing had happened.

\- How nice of you to appear for breakfast, and here I thought I would be eating alone - said Merlin, annoyed, and with a very notorious tone of sarcasm.

\- Sorry, I overslept - was the answer both teenagers gave at the same time, which made them turn to the other side and blush.

\- Well, then we are going over the plan right now and when you both finish, we are departing. Don't forget your armors -

The plan was quite simple: Merlin, while being disguised, would generate the illusion of an army so that at least one of the Great Holy Knights would feel the necessity to attend them, while Anna and Arthur would pose as their true selves: the king of Camelot and his personal bodyguard, but once inside the walls of Liones, they were going improvise. Merlin had transported them into a nearby landscape so she could make the illusion appear and make it seem as if they had marched all the way from Camelot. As they started the short march, Anna secured a cape around her shoulders just like Merlin so no one could see that she was a woman, her lasso, nor the dagger that she always carried around in case of emergency. Arthur, on the other hand, was just going with the usual king attire: a golden armor, Excalibur and a purple cape without a hood, unlike those of his companions. The army behind them looked as real as if it was actually made of flesh and bone men, and exuded a magical force so strong that was sure to be recognized by the Great Holy Knights from afar. They were only going to retrieve the king and bring him to Camelot, so whatever problem they could find would have to wait, at least, until Merlin got away.

They reached Liones by midday, and were received by the Great Holy Knight Hendrickson. Anna had to admit it, the man exuded a great deal of dark magic and surely didn't have good intentions, but damn, he was hot. _Now I get why all the maids were talking about that novel where the princess falls in love with a mysterious bandit; if he were my bandit, maybe I wouldn't be all over Arthur._ Anna could only sigh at her own childish thoughts, for she couldn't even picture herself liking somebody else than her king.

\- Please state your motives for...let's call it a visit - ordered Hendrickson.

\- I'm Arthur Pendragon, the king of Camelot, and I owe a great debt to your king Bartra, so as soon as I got notice of his illness, I decided to come here and lend the help of Camelot - stated Arthur in a serious yet friendly manner that only he could pull off.

\- We already have he best doctors at hand. Thank you for visiting, but now I'm asking you to leave immediately -

\- That's why I brought her - said Arthur, while pointing to Merlin's hooded figure - She is the best mage in Camelot and can cure any disease - as he finished talking, a loud explosion could be heard in the distance.

\- Thank you, but right now, we have some business to attend to - stated Hendrickson as he was turning away, and in that moment, Merlin made the whole army disappear with just a snap of her fingers, thing that made Hendrickson turn around in complete confusion.

\- Well, I get you don't want us here with an army, but at least I could show you the power of the court's mage. Let us help you with your little problem over there and when it's taken care of, we can discuss your king's situation - offered Arthur.

The Great Holy Knight was in a tight spot, and you didn't need to have eagle vision nor magic powers to detect it. He let Anna, Merlin and Arthur step into Liones as their horses were taken into the royal stables by some guards that were at the gate. It sure was a big city, but there were no signs of holy or even common knights, it was just Arthur, Anna, Merlin, Hendrickson and two brutes that were just behind Anna; even if everything seemed normal, Anna felt uneasy about it all, as if it was a trap. _Kraken_. The whisper was so soft that not even Merlin could have heard it, but it was enough for the head of the lasso to position itself in Anna's palm just in case of the worst scenario could happen, which it did.

\- You know, your Highness, that messengers tend to get killed when travelling from one kingdom to another? Even a king isn't an exception to this - stated Hendrickson while unsheathing his sword and fully swinging against Arthur.

\- That's it! Kraken! - shouted Anna, while turning around to get done with the two brutes that almost got her back, but thankfully they only managed to rip the cape she was wearing.

\- A woman? The great king Arthur needs a girl to protect him? - challenged one of the brutes, and while he was about to laugh, Anna got him by an ankle and sent him flying towards a wall.

The other man watched in pure terror as his partner, still caught by Anna's lasso, was starting to show dry and parched skin due to dehydration. Some of the water that his body held was now being used by Anna as a second weapon, just like Merlin taught her; this one was a personal favorite for her, since it was a ball that would move around her and become ice in the form of a sea urchin that would deal physical damage to whoever tried to approach her. Kraken was obviously a sacred treasure, since the regular urchins were not as powerful and useful as this one was resulting, and Anna was eager to see how much her weapon could level her powers right now.

\- So...wanna play? - said Anna as if challenging the other knight, until Merlin knocked him out with a spell - Hey! I was starting to have fun -

\- Anna, you are just discovering what that lasso can do for you. It is an extremely dangerous weapon if handled improperly, watch yourself while fighting or you will actually kill somebody instead of knocking them out - warned Merlin.

\- Yes madam, did you happen to see where went Arthur? -

\- He is going to be okay, but right now I need you to take care of a particular someone -

Right now, her job was simple: capture Merlin's former apprentice and knock her out. All she knew about this girl was that her name is Vivian and that she wanted to become a mage so she could get a boy to like her, but ended up being the "personal assistant" of Hendrickson; Anna already disliked her. She just had to wait around the fight between Arthur and Hendrickson and not interfere, so she just silently watched as Arthur fought with the great holy knight. For a moment she was tempted to jump in and protect him, but a little blond guy appeared seemingly out of nowhere along with a holy knight and teamed up with Arthur against the other two, she was grateful for his mysterious appearance and kept waiting for her target to arrive. They were fighting ferociously, and actually made quite the good team against Hendrickson and the other holy knight, but not long before the pink haired knight appeared, Vivian entered the fight against the blond guy and Arthur. She had to jump in and get her, so she actually jumped from the broken pillar she was standing on and landed a perfect kick into Vivian's head.

\- Oh...my bad, I actually can't see miserable bugs - dared to say Anna to Vivian, who has getting mad at her.

\- Who is this little bitch? - shouted Vivian, obviously pissed at Anna's boldness.

\- Little bitch? Watch your mouth girl, at least I'm not a mage just to brew a love potion so a guy can like me. I've got my own personal charms for that - said Anna, while winking at Vivian and immediately attacking her with the ice urchin.

Arthur was in big trouble against Hendrickson until a man appeared to help him, and it was none other than the Seven Deadly Sin's captain Meliodas. He was in his own fight against a holy knight named Gilthunder, but the guy sent him flying towards this fight and now it was a team fight. They were tough opponents, and even more when Liones' mage appeared to help them, but thankfully Anna appeared and, with a swift kick on the girl's head, landed and challenged the mage to a fight of their own. She had surely saved his ass, and he decided that once they were out of trouble, he would thank her properly.

Vivian was, indeed, a powerful opponent, but Anna was no easy target either. The ice urchin had proven itself to be quite useful against an opponent like Vivian, and Anna only needed to find a clear spot over her armor so she could absorb some of her body's water, but the girl was so covered that even a priestess would feel that it was too much. Vivian was beyond mad at Anna for both the things she said to her and the kick on the head, so she summoned repeatedly her most powerful spell: quad-element destroyer; the strategy Anna applied was so simple that she was surprised that her enemy hadn't noticed yet. By taunting her before, Vivian was so mad that she would attack without thinking, while Anna was just exhausting her magical energy by avoiding her spells and letting the ice urchin hurt her every now and then, so when the time came, even the lightest of punches would finish her off. It took what seemed and awful lot of time, but Vivian let off her guard soon enough for Anna to catch her with her lasso and slam her into the ground, she then proceeded to grab her head and slam it again, so the helmet could break and reveal her face. She was bleeding from that last move, and appeared to have a concussion, but Anna has never been a woman that was known for leaving things half done, so she just gently wrapped her lasso around Vivian's face and watched as the floating sphere grew and her target passed out from dehydration. Anna could only make weak perfect cubes, so she decided that the best thing to keep her prisoner in place was to tie her hands with Kraken and let it steal enough water from her so she could pass out again if she regained consciousness; after that, she just made Vivian levitate with an easy spell and approached Arthur's fighting zone, which now was disturbingly quiet for her taste.

When Anna reached Arthur, she found him aiding the pink haired holy knight and a beautiful girl. She was confused, but that didn't stop her from running towards Arthur and hugging him with all her might.

\- Please tell me you are okay, that those idiots didn't hurt you and you are perfectly fine - begged Anna without even turning to see Arthur in the eyes.

\- Don't worry Anna, I'm a big boy who can take care of himself every now and then - laughed Arthur, which resulted in him getting a light punch over his shoulder.

\- By the way, weren't you just fighting to death with that guy over there? And where is the blond guy who helped you? - Anna started asking without acknowledging the people that were approaching them.

\- That guy? His name is Gilthunder, but don't worry about him, he was acting to protect the girl you see him with, and "that blond guy"'s name is Meliodas, and it's me. Pleased to meet you! - cheerily said the guy that Anna saw teaming up with Arthur before as he extended his hand towards her, which she took and friendly shook.

\- Very impressive Anna, I knew you could take down Vivian, but I never imagined you doing it so easily! Well, I just hope you're not as easy to deal with - said Merlin as she approached Vivian an examined her face - Princess Margaret, please say the word and I will gladly deal with my former apprentice in a way that she deserves -

\- Please don't, what she did to Gil is horrible, but it was out of love, so please don't be too harsh on her - gently said the beautiful girl who was treating one of Gilthunder's wounds from the battle with Arthur and Meliodas.

\- Understood, your Grace - said Merlin as she ordered Kraken to let Vivian go and invoked a perfect cube to trap her.

\- Well...since that matter is sorted out, do you think you can get us to where Elizabeth is? - asked Meliodas, clearly towards Merlin.

\- Yes captain, no need to say it twice - as Merlin said that, she transported everyone in front of the king Bartra's chamber.

Anna could feel the presence of a perfect cube at the other side of the door, which would make it impossible to a normal creature to reach the king. Meliodas didn't think it twice before reaching the door, and then slamming it with all his might, which caused the people trapped inside to shout in terror; that seemed to calm Meliodas, since one of the voices was a girl's, and Anna assumed that it was this Elizabeth that they were referring to before. Merlin couldn't do more but chuckle at the futile attempts of her captain, and when she got bored of it, she just opened the door with an absolute cancel spell and revealed the sick king and the girl beside him. It was a touching reunion between Meliodas and Elizabeth, so pure and full of love that it made Anna envious that Arthur didn't seem to feel even the slightest of nerves of something happening to her; she was just staring at them, completely ignoring the world, until she heard Bartra coughing and Merlin calling her.

\- Anna! We are taking Bartra back to Camelot to treat him, you and Arthur are coming with me - ordered the mage as she helped the king to stand up.

\- And what about Vivian? We can't let her roam freely around, and that cube is going to disappear as soon as we go away -

\- You are keeping the cube as I get us out of here. Anything else to say before we part? -

\- Meliodas! You and all the Deadly Sins are more than welcome to Camelot as soon as you can visit! - cheerfully blurted Arthur, and with just a nod, Meliodas accepted the offer.

Anna was nervous because she hadn't done anything like that in her life, but Arthur placed his hand over her shoulder and tried to comfort her while she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Before she knew, they were back in Camelot's castle, and the cube around Vivian was perfectly keeping her in place; although it was weak, Anna could feel Merlin's gaze of approval as she released the cube and watched Vivian being escorted by two knights into the dungeons. Next thing she tried to do was to help Merlin to heal Bartra, but she rather gave her the assignment of taking care of Arthur, so she took him to the infirmary with a kick transport. Once they were there, Anna proceeded to undress from her armor, which left her in a cropped top, shorts and long socks that reached up to her thighs, and it made Arthur blush madly and turn his gaze to the window.

\- What are you waiting for? I need you to undress so I can see your wounds Arthur -

\- Oh yeah...right, sorry - he shyly said as he started to undress and revealed some minor wounds, which Anna started to silently treat - So...Anna, do you think that Meliodas and Elizabeth would make a cute couple? - asked Arthur.

\- Where is that coming from? - responded Anna, while maybe leaving a little too long the medicine, so it stung more than usual over Arthur's wounds.

\- They seemed very happy to be reunited, and I don't know, you don't go around hugging someone like that if you are not in love with them. I mean, you and I hug and all, but it doesn't radiate love like those two -

\- Yeah...maybe - muttered Anna, more hurt by those words than Arthur could imagine - You are done. Merlin said she will be delivering Bartra herself and that she will take Vivian too so she can be prosecuted in her own kingdom, so I'm going to sleep...see ya -

Anna nearly ran out of the infirmary, and she almost was stopped by Arthur, but she managed to calmly get away and just walked towards some stairs that nobody used so she could transport herself to her room without being bothered. As soon as she checked the emptiness of her room, she locked the door and let herself fall into the floor with a sea of tears pouring down her face. _Stupid, stupid, stupid Arthur...how can you be so blind? Oh, sure, you can tell those two imbeciles love each other but not that I'm mad for you? You can go fuck yourself_. She could barely pull herself together just long enough to reach the bathtub and undress, but miraculously she did, and as soon as she entered in contact with the water, she let Aquarius take control and transformed firstly, without even noticing. Her mermaid form could barely fit in the bathtub, so most of her tail was hanging out as she let her upper body slide and stay under the water; curiously, she could still cry under water, but the tears were instantly lost in the tub and added to her bath. The crying and cursing went on for a couple of hours until she felt dried out of any more emotions to spill, so she asked back for her legs and decided to stay in bed, no matter how many people called for her that night, she just shouted to them that she felt sick and decided to sleep early.

 _I hate you Arthur, I hate that you are so perfect it is impossible for me to not love you. Asshole._

That was all she could think before letting herself fall asleep amidst all the chaos and ruckus that her mind and heart were making out of her.


	3. Chapter 3

A month has passed since the incident in Liones, and everyone felt that it happened yesterday. Anna got news from Merlin about several things, like: the disappearance of the Great Holy Knight Dreyfus, Hendrickson's defeat, Vivian being incarcerated and cursed for life (thanks to Merlin and her embarrassment upon admitting she taught her all she knew), Elizabeth's powers and the reunion of the Sins, but it all seemed to be worthless information for her. Since the infirmary, she had avoided Arthur at all costs and reserved the times she had to actually share space with him to the strictly necessary issues, like the planning of his upcoming 20th birthday ball. He had made Merlin and his court members invite the Seven Deadly Sins, some of the holy knights from Liones and the royal family, without mentioning almost everyone in Camelot, so at least everybody thought it was going to be a night full of distractions and "happiness"; although, as Arthur's personal bodyguard, Anna opted to stay out of the fun and just serve as the security chief for the night. It was going to be a night to show everybody outside of Camelot that she wasn't the king's pet nor just a pretty face, so she had started to train day and night everyday since they came back from fighting in Liones, and it was probing to be benefical for getting the hang of Kraken with more ease. By now, Anna achieved habilities like retrieving water from plants (to not worry about killing someone), and making bigger and better versions of the ice urchin, which now was a nearly giant sea snake that didn't need to turn into ice to damage an opponent. All the holy and common knights from Camelot looked up to her, for she was the best warrior in the kingdom, and she was truly moved by that from the bottom of her heart because they were her family now, but at that moment it just meant for her that she was good enough for everybody, except for her best friend.

One of those days, Anna was alone and doing some light training, until Merlin called for her to come to the laboratory. When she entered, Merlin almost shoot her a spell and immediately rushed to close the door behind her.

\- Why did you almost kill me?! - shouted Anna while looking at the burnt spot on the wooden door.

\- Because I thought you were one of those nosy maids. I believe I raised you to have manners and present yourself before entering a room - answered Merlin as she hoped that nobody heard or saw what just happened

\- My bad - said Anna while rolling her eyes - So, are you going to tell me what's going on here? -

\- Yes, sorry. As you know, the Seven Deadly Sins are invited to Arthur's ball; they are arriving today and I believe that by midday they will be here over the East entrance, but I need to do something this afternoon. Could you go and pick them up for me? -

\- Sure, i'll get changed and go -

\- Thank you Anna. Oh, and please give Diane these pills - Merlin took some purple pills from a shelf while asking the favor and then proceeded to hand Anna the little vial.

Anna was annoyed to be treated as an errand girl, but it was nice to have an excuse that would let her step out of the castle and have a stroll around Camelot. As she bathed, she thought that it would be nice to have some girl friends around the castle that wouldn't mind much who she really was, and that maybe Merlin understood her and that's why she asked her to show the Sins around; whichever the actual reason why, she truly was happy to have her attention over something that wasn't Arthur or her training. When she stepped into her room, she decided to keep it casual with a white turtleneck cropped top, black pants, her favorite pair of black boots, her nautilus necklace and Kraken; if one thing Camelot was known for, it was for the rather revolutionary way the working women decided to ditch away the dresses and long skirts for the everyday attire, and it was specially that case for the women that belonged to the knighthood life. She checked herself once more on the mirror before looking at the little gift box that was over her desk, and sighed before heading to the East door, where she would find the Seven Deadly Sins waiting for Merlin.

If they knew how to do something astonishingly, it was an entrance. Anna managed to reach the gate just as a giant green pig with a hut over it's back dove deep into the ground, so only said hut was visible and it didn't even seem that something like she saw, just happened. She was so amused and concentrated in deciphering what kind of creature was that pig, that she didn't notice the six Sins, Elizabeth and a pork intently looking at her, which made her blush and nervously laugh.

\- Anna-chan! Nice to see you again! You are looking good! - exclaimed Meliodas while approaching her and extending his hand for a high-five.

\- Oh, hi captain Meliodas! - responded Anna, quite baffled at the sudden familiarity and while friendly answering the Sin's gesture - And to all of you...It is a pleasure for me to be receiving such a legendary group of knights into Camelot! Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Anna Heartscale, I'm king's Arthur bodyguard and Merlin's apprentice -

\- Ooooh niceee...Now, say young lady, is there a place where we can drink? And where's Merlin? Does she think of herself so high now that she can't welcome her old team? - asked a tall guy with crimson eyes while standing a little too close to Anna, which made her uncomfortable but even didn't made her flinch.

\- Merlin had...things, to attend to for tomorrow's ball. I'm afraid I can't give you more information about her whereabouts right now -

\- Meh...you surely are a knight, so bored and proper with everybody. Let yourself loose girl! - laughed the guy while putting an arm over Anna's shoulder, which was quickly grabbed by the mermaid and used to fling the guy away from her in a swift motion.

\- Forget about him Anna - said Meliodas while putting a hand over Anna's other shoulder - Now let me introduce you to the team: the white haired guy is Ban, the giant is Diane, the fairy is King, the pink haired guy is Gowther, the talking pig is Hawk and this lady over here is princess Elizabeth of Liones - said Meliodas, while he introduced every member of the Seven Deadly Sins and company.

\- I'm very pleased to meet you all. Diane...Diane...that's right! Merlin told me to hand you these pills and some human sized clothes. She says that you should take one every eight hours during your time in Camelot - said Anna, as she handed the pills over to King, who kindly offered himself to give one to the giantess.

Once Diane changed and her clothes were stacked with her sacred treasure, Anna proceeded to show the Sins the wonders of Camelot. Both and Elizabeth and Diane seemed to be enjoying the stroll more than the other members, since they would pull Anna towards one window to another so that she could tell them about the various shops, dresses and food that they were all admiring. It was nice to feel as if she had any friends, and was certainly having a good time with the princess and the shrunk giantess while the men just walked behind them and casually talked to Anna to ask her a question or two; they were so excited about, well, everything, that it took them until sunset to reach the castle, where Merlin was waiting for them at the entrance.

\- It is nice seeing you all in such high spirits! Did you enjoy your day with my apprentice? She is indeed quite fun when she isn't training so hard - joked Merlin as she softly pinched one of Anna's cheeks.

\- Yes! It was a wonderful day Lady Merlin, I'm really thankful that you could let Anna come with us! - happily exclaimed Elizabeth from behind Anna as she made a reverence towards Merlin.

\- Well, I hope you are as excited to eat some dinner and see your rooms. Everything is set for the Seven Deadly Sins' stay until you tell where to go captain - said Merlin.

\- If there is food involved why are we standing here? Let's gooo! - Hawk shouted while running towards the castle with Ban at its side.

Everybody else laughed the scene off and started the tour of the castle. As it was nearly dinner time, the tour ended at the dining room, where 9 places and a food bowl over the floor were already set for all the people that were eating; it wasn't long enough until Arthur appeared and greeted all the Sins while also asking them to please join him to eat. It was usual for Anna to sit besides Arthur and in front of Merlin, but tonight she just wanted to talk about girl things with Diane and Elizabeth, with whom she was now quite close, so she let Meliodas sit besides the king this time, which made Arthur quite sad, but he had to roll with it so they wouldn't make a scene in front of everybody.

Arthur wasn't liking the silent treatment from Anna, it was nearly killing him. He had been watching her train over the last month and wanted to join her to have a chance to talk things over, but every single time, a member of the court would nag him about something that required his presence, and every time that the pair had a chance to talk, there was an official duty to attend that needed Anna to quietly stand behind him, lasso in hand for protocol. Was she mad at him? If she was, then why didn't she tell him what was the matter? He had suspected that Anna was shielding herself from him, but letting Meliodas sit where she always did was the definite proof he needed; however, when he saw her chatting with Diane and Elizabeth as if they were best friends, his heart was instantly soothed with the first glimpse of a smile and the sound of her harmonic laugh in more than a month.

When everybody ate dinner, Anna guided the girls to their rooms and Arthur the guys so everybody could sleep for the day that was expecting them tomorrow. Anna could barely fall asleep, and when the sunrise came up, she felt the temptation of staying in her bed, until a maid started calling her for breakfast; apparently, it was a bigger issue to decorate the ballroom than it was her good humor. Such a bad idea due to the fact that she was a peculiar mage with an affinity to leave people dehydrated and passed out. Lucky for her, Diane and Elizabeth needed dresses for the night, so she was excused from decorating duties to go shopping with them with some borrowed money from the royal treasure. Both girls were fascinated with the various designs and styles from Camelot that defied the fashion known until now about the proper way for a lady to dress; they nearly visited all shops on the city before the princess and the giantess decided for "the one". Diane got herself a long yellow dress with nearly transparent, open and long sleeves that were held by the design of the plunging "v" neck, while Elizabeth decided for a long, red and kind of puffy dress that was a little more traditional, but had a corset-like open back that made her chest pop almost to her throat and no sleeves, which made it look different from all the things she had ever worn back at Liones. When it was almost time for the ball to start, Anna took the liberty of transporting the trio to the palace, so the girls could run and get ready while she calmly headed towards her room to get her amor and maybe comb her hair into a nice braid. Instead of the golden armor over it's usual mannequin, there was a big black box on her bed with a golden ribbon, so she curiously examined it before catching with her eye a note with the signature calligraphy of her mentor.

 _Dear Anna,_

 _I arranged for you to attend the ball. No excuses. Put on this dress and shoes; you know how to do your make up and hair. If you dare appear with an armor I'm making you my next lab rat._

 _Love, Merlin._

 _This woman is going to be the death of me_. Anna didn't feel like going, but she already sensed that Merlin hid away her armor in a place she wouldn't find, and she couldn't appear in her training clothes to such a party, so the best thing to do was to accept her new fate. She opened the box and found a long black dress that, when she unfolded it in front of her, Anna almost died of embarrassment. _There is no way in seven hells that I'm wearing this, what's up with Merlin and the exhibitionism?_ It resulted to be a very chest-tight and backless dress that had a golden sea serpent held with delicate golden chains as the only garment that left something to the imagination, at least until the fabric that covered the butt started. Since the note also mentioned shoes, Anna rummaged the box until she found a pair of black and high heeled sandals that needed to be tied at the ankle; it was a full outfit that was begging her to be worn with the attitude of a queen or an empress, and Anna was about to not wear it and just stay in her room the whole night, until she saw the carriages that various princesses not exactly like Elizabeth or her sisters were descending from, and it made her quite furious to think that the court made this party to make Arthur choose a wife. These girls are so not going to know what knocked them off.

Arthur was enjoying himself as much as he could since, after all, it was his 20th birthday. He was wearing a nice deep blue and black suit that made Excalibur even more notorious, and he was really liking how the party turned out, but the only thing that set him off was that a bunch of princesses were invited without his knowledge, so now he was stuck with dealing with them. He was begging the Sins and Liones' knights to help him with desperate looks on his face, but: Meliodas was entertaining himself with Elizabeth, King and Diane were dancing without paying attention to the world, Ban was drinking and Merlin was talking with Gowther, clearly ignoring him; however, his pleas appeared to be heard when he noticed the princesses angrily looking towards the staircase, from where a beautiful girl in a long black dress was just arriving to the party. He excused himself from the girls that were annoying him and almost started to run to get a better view of this woman since he felt he knew who she was, but the suit was rather uncomfortable for that, and when he managed to recognize the girl, whom was vividly chatting with the Sins - now gathered to compliment her - he almost lose his mind. It was Anna. He didn't remember the last time he saw her with her hair tied in a loose bun, the black eye shadow with red lipstick really made her eyes more alluring with the added depth, and her lasso turned into an accessory made her look strong and sexy. She looked like the queen that these princesses couldn't even dream to be. Arthur started to, unconsciously, walk towards his friend, and he was at a total lack of words when he finally reached her.

\- Happy birthday Arthur! - exclaimed Anna with a smile on her face - I really hope you get to live many more like this - she hugged him and managed to slip a hand under his coat to leave something small in a pocket.

\- Thank you Anna...you...you truly look good tonight...but...um...weren't you going to be the security chief? - nervously asked Arthur while madly blushing and making a big effort to not look at Anna's chest.

\- Yes - Anna sighed - But Merlin thought that I had the obligation to come to my best friend's birthday party instead of guarding it, and since I don't go around buying dresses, she got this one for me - the girl said, with a tone of annoyance at his question, as she played with her dress and twirled to give the boy a better view - Come with me, your gold digger fan club is about to kill me with just looks - with that, Anna took Arthur's arm and walked towards the angry princesses with the most hypocrite and condescending smile on her face.

\- Your Highnesses, it is a pleasure for me to formally welcome you to the king's ball. I, Anna Heartscale, commander of the holy knights of Camelot and personal bodyguard to the king himself, am truly sorry to have snatched his majesty's attention, but he was asking about the security arrangements that were made to ensure the protection of such valued treasures like yourselves. Now that I have answered for my knightly duty, I ask that you may excuse me, since I have battle tactics to discuss with the Seven Deadly Sins - formally explained Anna like she was a queen, which only made Arthur watch in awe with an accelerated heart as she bowed to the princesses, who now were more than happy, and walked away with a light sway of hips that almost made him drool.

\- Way to go Anna! You surely handed them like a boss! - cheered Diane while offering a fist bump and laughing at Arthur's face.

Soon enough, Anna started to let herself loose and to finally have some fun. She started drinking, eating and dancing at her heart's content, and Merlin's dress made her the center of attention of the night, at least among the men whose companions were not paying them enough attention. Since Gilthunder and Margaret were officially engaged, they went as a royal couple to present their regards in behalf of Bartra, but Gil's rather cute friend, Howzer, was all alone, and eyeing Anna from head to toe, which she appreciated and returned the looks with casual smiles and winks as she danced with Elizabeth, Diane, King and any other single man who wished to catch her attention; it seemed like a miracle when he finally gathered the balls to approach her.

\- By any chance are you too tired from running in my mind to concede this knight a dance? - asked Howzer while offering his hand for Anna to grab.

\- Since it's you who is asking, I'm feeling rather energetic - responded Anna, smirking at the cheesy pick-up line and while taking his hand to lead him to the dance floor.

Anna had just completely misjudged Howzer as a holy knight with no brains nor personality at all, but he was actually a very kind person who really knew how to dance. The song was rather fast, and he twirled her like a princess along with the tempo, and even dared to make her lean on him over the dance in a gentle, yet romantic and sexy way; everything seemed to be going better for Anna when she noticed how Arthur was stuck with having to deal with his fans while both pleadingly and enviously looking at her so she could save him, but not this time. This was only the start of her vengeance.

Arthur now had to dance with the princesses that were sent by their fathers to catch his attention, but the only woman he wanted to dance with, was enjoy herself a little too much with another man. The princess of a nearby kingdom already told him off for eyeing Anna while she was talking about how much did her dress cost, and he had to apologize to her by listening to her uninteresting blabber. That guy is only dancing with her because of that damned dress, and I bet that nobody would have found her THAT attractive if she was in her armor. He could only watch, full of envy and desperation to kill the knight, as Anna laughed and let the guy guide her in a dance full of deep looks and tipsy smiles...the ones that were supposed to be only for him. Arthur felt that he lost the only thread of calmness in his being when he saw Anna whispering something to the knight, both of them laughing, grabbing some liquor and leaving the dance floor. That's it with her, she's going to hear it from me when this girl leaves me alone.

Meanwhile, Anna was sitting on a stone bench with Howzer at the garden that could be reached from the ballroom. Her feet hurt as hell thanks to those heels, and Howzer was gentlemanly enough to comply to her wish of just sit there and talk over a glass of wine instead of dancing a little more. They just went on about trivial things, like lifestyles in each kingdom, their powers, which was the best weapon, the best kind of armor, and more; she even showed him how Kraken could move as if it was alive due to her magic and how it was not an accessory nor a regular lasso, and it was simply sweet how he genuinely wanted to know more about her without ill intentions. They were truly longing for a friend to talk with since both their best friends seemed to be very much busy to actually ask how you're doing. Before they knew, it was well past midnight when the pair started to get sleepy.

\- Hey, I think I'm going to leave now. Do you need any help with those things? - asked Howzer while pointing to the heels.

\- Don't worry - laughed Anna - First thing they teach you about how to be a lady is that you have to keep up the glamour until the end, even if the shoes are going to kill you - she joked, which was rewarded with a hearty laugh from Howzer.

\- Hahaha as you say you fragile maiden, I hope you reach your room with both feet - finally said the knight as he hugged her and started walking away.

\- Make it safe to the inn! Hope you don't get to hear a banging couple in a nearby room! - Anna both shouted and laughed.

She just stayed there, taking the soft breeze and peacefulness of the garden before deciding to return to her room. The ballroom clearly was starting to get empty, but there were still a lot of people who seemed to be fine with dancing until the sunrise; Anna just avoided them all and started going to her room without noticing the pair of violet eyes watching her every movement as if she was a prey. Every step was a living hell in those damned heels, so she took them off when nobody could see and thanked the goddesses for the feeling of the carpet underneath her sore feet. She just entered her chambers, heels in hand and maybe a little more alcohol in her system than permitted, but without even locking the door to change, as if she somehow knew that Arthur wanted to give her a piece of his mind.

Arthur swiftly entered Anna's room without anybody noticing the audacity of the act and locking the door behind him. His friend was nowhere to be seen, but he heard her in the bathroom, so he just sat on the bed to wait for her; even he was decent enough to not storm in there while Anna could might as well be naked. He started fidgeting with his hands until he remembered that Anna had slipped something into his coat earlier that night, so he rapidly tried to look for it, until he found a little black box in one his pockets; he was about to open it, until he heard the bathroom door open and saw Anna with the same nightgown she had the other night and leaning over the door frame, watching him with soft eyes that seemed to be holding back some tears. It seemed that his brain couldn't connect to his mouth and formulate the words he wanted so badly to speak, so he just watched as the girl silently approached him and, once she reached him, sat next to him on the bed.

\- I got you this present, but I was sure you were not going to see it if I put it with the others - gently said Anna while taking away the box from his hands, opening it and taking out a crystal ball - It is a crystal ball like the one Merlin uses to see what is happening elsewhere, but I enchanted this one to do something better - Anna moved her head closer to the ball and made it touch her forehead, after a few seconds, she let it float over her palm and watched as the day they spent in the pond replayed from her point of view, showing the moment she pulled him into the water and then made fun of him. Before it could show how she eyed his butt, Anna grabbed the crystal ball and handed it over to Arthur.

\- Anna...I just don't know what to say...It is simply beautiful, I'm really thankful for it -

\- Don't mention it, I just wanted to give you something that no princess could easily go and buy in an expensive store - she sadly smiled at the fragile ball - So...Tell me something...Are you here because you wanted to shout at me? -

\- How did you know? - Arthur asked as he turned his face away with a deep blush and a guilty look reflected over his dazzling eyes.

\- Oh please - Anna chuckled - I'm not blind Arthur, you wanted to kill Howzer and your face screamed me to help you but I didn't, I just made you watch me having fun while you were suffering with those harpies -

\- That's not entirely why I was mad you know... -

\- Then what was it? -

\- You have been avoiding me for a month Anna, it frustrated me to not be able to reach you like I always do and it made feel lonely. When I saw you laughing and having fun with people you barely know, well, made me jealous because I wanted your laugh to be my own doing and... - there, Arthur was interrupted by Anna, who was now strongly hugging him and nuzzling her head in the space between his shoulder and his neck.

\- Shhh...Don't say anything else, please...I'm sorry Arthur, I should have never ignored you all this time - whispered Anna into Arthur's ear.

It was a hurtful moment for both of them, and Anna didn't know how to even start to actually demonstrate how sorry she was for causing him, his best friend and love of her life, so much pain and sadness. Anna wanted to give him a kiss on his cheek and tell him that she would compensate it by dealing with and writing rejection letters to the princesses, but Arthur wanted to look her in the eye and finally tell her how much she meant for him. Before neither of them knew, they met halfway into their own paths with a kiss. They were both startled, and Anna was about to pull away and apologize for it, but a strong hand held her head gently in its place, and Arthur started responding to the kiss. It was the most intoxicating sensation that either of them had ever felt, and it got a thousand times better when Anna started responding as well and ran her fingers over Arthur's messy hair, making it more of a mess. They craved more, and the kiss became a passionate battle for dominance as Arthur ran his tongue over Anna's bottom lip, as if asking permission to savor more of her, but was surprised with a trap as she only opened her mouth to bite his bottom lip and enter his mouth first. She lustfully explored Arthur's mouth with her tongue, first through his teeth and then to reach his own tongue and make him follow her pace; it seemed that it was going on to be something more when, unconsciously, Anna sat on Arthur's lap and cupped his face with both her hands as the kiss continued and Arthur ran his hands over her back. They suddenly realized the lack of oxygen between them and both pulled away, returning their minds from the clouds and back into Britannia; both of them were panting madly as they were recovering their senses, and for a moment, Anna remembered where she was sitting, and started to get down from him as fast as she could, but Arthur's hand stopped her before leaving.

\- Don't you dare move - demanded Arthur - Now...Anna Heartscale...I need to tell you something: that you are the most amazing woman I've ever met and I need you to always be there for me - said Arthur, with a serious tone and intently looking into her hazel eyes.

\- Arthur, I've always been there for you and I'll always be. I'm also your friend, your best friend I daresay, not only your bodyguard - sweetly responded Anna, as if that kiss didn't happen and while agreeing to stay in that position, just to caress Arthur's chest with one hand while the other played with his hair.

\- No, you are not understanding Anna. I love you, I'm mad and deeply in love with you. I don't just want you to be with me, I need you to be with me -

\- Arthur...I-I - Anna tried to say something, but she was at a total loss of words, so Arthur found no better answer than diving into another kiss.

This time he had Anna at his total mercy. He caught her off-guard, so much that she lost balance and both of them ended lying over the bed with Arthur on top; never parting from the kiss. Anna responded with the same passion to Arthur's demands as he previously responded to hers, yet her mind was internally screaming at her to give the guy an answer that she longed to say since some time now, so she parted from the kiss. Arthur was confused, wasn't she liking it? Did she felt she was being forced into something? He just saw how Anna shut her eyes closed and told him the words that he didn't give her the chance to speak minutes ago.

\- I love you too Arthur...for some years now, and if you want me so much to stay, then make me - dared the girl as she opened her eyes to see him and gave him a devilish yet determined grin.

\- I may know how to do it, but you have to be a good girl and ask for it - said Arthur, trying to follow her game but not paying attention to her legs, which Anna quickly moved in order to make him loose balance and let her switch positions with him, pinning his hands to the mattress so he wouldn't try to outsmart her.

\- Now...who has to be a good boy and ask? -

\- You cheater -

\- Don't be so mad...say again that you love me and I'll give you a reward -

\- I'm more than in love with you Anna -


	4. Chapter 4

Soooo, hi peeps! I know it's a little late, but I was feeling picky with the making of this chapter. There are some references to other series here, so have fun finding them and remembering good ol' times. I think it's not neccessary to say this, but...I DO NOT OWN NANATSU NO TAIZAI/SEVEN DEADLY SINS IN ANY POSSIBLE WAY. Enjoy! (Thanks to the 6 people that decided to follow my story and to the 5 of them that faved it. You guys surely impulse me to keep the story going!).

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Next thing she knew, Anna's nightgown was lying on the floor with Arthur's shirt, coat and Excalibur. The chilly August breeze made her shiver, but his hands roaming over her almost naked body made her hot enough to endure the cold of the night. After diving in for another kiss as a reward for Arthur's love confession, Anna let him switch positions with her. Needless to say, now he wasn't only on top, he was in control. The kisses were sloppy, but full of love and adoration for the other, and things started to get heated once their tongues met again in another battle for dominance; it didn't take long until Arthur decided to take said battle elsewhere and started kissing her cheek, making a path through her jawline and finishing on her neck, leaving a burning trail of passion and saliva everywhere his lips touched skin. He reached Aquarius' necklace and gave it a peck as a "thank you" for letting his beloved roam around Britannia with that pair of long, toned and dreamy legs that he has eyed for so many years. Due to pure instinct, he glanced at Anna and saw her blushing at the gesture, which made him let a soft laugh out as he got closer to her face again; foreheads touching, heavy breathing, mad blush covering their faces and locked gazes full of both lust and deep love.

\- Tell me Anna...Do you want me to continue? - whispered Arthur.

\- Yes Arthur...Please - Anna breathed.

That was all he needed to hear. He returned to his previous task with much force than before; now the kisses were accompanied with bites, which made Anna loudly moan. The sound of her arousal made the animal in him wake up with lightning speed, and he grabbed both her hands to hold them above her head as he started biting, licking and sucking the skin of her neck and chest, just above her breasts. He put a little of space between them to admire his work, and the view made his groin twitch with pain inside his pants. There she was: Camelot's best and strongest holy knight sprawled across a bed, almost naked, with hickeys and teeth marks all around her neck and chest, moaning his name and arching her back so that he could continue. Who was Arthur to not oblige before such a majestic view?

There stood her breasts before him, both round, alluring and inviting with the beautiful image of perky nipples that looked like cherries on top of cream. He was taking revenge for all the jealousy he felt that night when he saw her being the object of so many men's attention, so he returned to her mouth to kiss her and make the pace agonizingly slow again, which made her moan in frustration against his mouth. It was a sensation almost too painful to not let her have what she wanted when she wanted, but he was insistent on making her beg for him. _You were such a bad girl tonight my dear...I should torture you just a little bit more._

\- Aren't you enjoying this Anna? - whispered Arthur against her ear and as he bit her earlobe.

\- C...curse you...aaah - whimpered Anna, as she was very obviously liking Arthur's ministrations on her earlobe and the sneaky hand that was trailing patterns around her breast.

\- So rude...I guess that I can stop then - warned Arthur, starting to retrieve his curious hand.

\- No! - pleaded Anna - Please...more -

\- More of what Anna? I can't hear you -

\- Touch me - demanded the girl, now feeling the pool between her legs getting hotter than before.

\- Ask nicely - ordered Arthur, biting hard on her neck, clearly to leave a mark that will be difficult to hide later on.

\- Ah!...Please Arthur...touch me more - Anna begged in a whimper due to the pain of the bite.

Not even a second passed until Arthur's hand was already cupping her breast. A loud moan escaped Anna's throat, and Arthur forgot all about making her beg for him; not that she wasn't doing it already, but it could have been going on for a few more minutes. He started fondling her breast with a gentle massage, rough enough to not make her moans stop, but gently enough to show her that he cared for her and her commodity with what they were doing. At this point, the temptation was too much to not give in, so he moved his head from the space between Anna's neck and shoulder and popped the unattended breast into his mouth. For his surprise, she tasted like vanilla; maybe due to her favorite bath essence that he always gives her as a gift whenever he needs to apologize for something, but that didn't make Arthur think that this was a totally different thing from anything he had tasted in his whole life.

At the sudden feel of a tongue going around her breast, Anna arched her back on pure instinct and let her body guide her through this incredible sensation of pure pleasure. She had her eyes closed, so she could concentrate on the hand over her right breast and the wet muscle going over her left one. Since his hands got quite busy in other places over her, Anna took the opportunity to brace his head over her chest and run her fingers over his hair. Arthur dropped his whole act of making her beg for him and just started to touch her in ways that she could have never imagined that he wanted to do; his hand was now expertly massaging her, and tugging and pinching the pink nipple mercilessly, while on the other hand, his mouth mas licking, biting and sucking his way over her breast to reach the nipple and apply the same ministrations that he had been doing for a while with his hand. He was driving her mad with ecstasy. Just for a moment, Anna opened her eyes to see him and nearly thought she had died and gone to heaven with the image in front of her: Arthur, half naked with eyes intently looking at her as he was eating her up and savoring every inch that he could get a hold of her almost naked body. If it wasn't worth paying attention to before, now it was quite notorious that she was basically dripping down below, and she wanted more of Arthur.

\- Ah-Ah-Arthur...P-Please...touch me down - got to say Anna, as she loosened her grip over his head and looked at him.

\- Where? - huskily asked Arthur as he played dumb.

\- Down Arthur! - almost shouted the girl.

\- Why don't you show me then? I'm not quite getting it sweetheart - Arthur suggested.

He couldn't believe that Anna didn't slap him for being a smartass, and that the move actually worked. He was now on four, hovering over Anna, as he watched her reach for her black panties and move them aside to start touching herself. As the gentleman he was, he couldn't let her masturbate with such a nuisance on the way, so he made a trail of hot and wet kisses from her breast, through her abdomen, down her stomach and until the hem of the garment, just to start pulling it with his teeth, demanding her approval to dispose of the only piece of clothing that was covering her. He fell in love with her all over again with just that one look of an embarrassed yet lustful lover who was going to be seen naked for the first time, and he went crazy when he heard the moan that escaped from her mouth at the same time she gave him her approval.

The image was enough to make him reconsider why he was still wearing pants and underwear. As soon as Anna's panties were removed, she proceeded to touch herself with more passion, seemingly without realizing that Arthur was looking at her in pure awe; the moonlight was reflecting on her as she was the most beautiful from the goddess clan, her chest was rising with her agitated breathing in a frantic way that made the pair of marked breasts wiggle, her eyes were closed and he could swear that he heard her call his name in her moans. Just for a moment, Arthur came down from cloud nine and realized that he wanted to keep this going on for the rest of his life. He wanted Anna to be waiting for him on their bed, to kiss him every night and morning until they both died, and he could only think about the insane need to just kiss her.

Anna was happy to follow him through a romantic kiss, but she could feel herself on the verge of coming. She took one of Arthur's hands and placed it on her breast without either stopping the kiss, or masturbating, this startled the boy a little, but he was glad to help her once he understood what was going on. At this point she was just thrusting two of her fingers inside of her in a way that would let her arm graze her clit, so the pleasure was more than she could have ever imagined. _This is definitely better that late night sessions in the tub_. Arthur got tired of kissing her, so he took his mouth to play with her breasts, and Anna lost it in that moment. Her mind went blank as the rush of pleasure was finally freed in the form of an orgasm that was very much sweeter than the others she had experienced by her own, lonely hand.

Arthur stopped sucking on Anna's breast as he heard her basically scream his name, and he was about to apologize for everything he has done in his life, but then he saw her smile with heavy breathing.

\- Are you okay? - worriedly asked the boy.

\- Y-yeah...woah - panted the girl, without stopping the smile and retrieving her wet fingers.

\- Did you...you know...umm...orgasm? - shyly asked Arthur, like the last moments never happened, to which the mermaid could only nod and reach for his neck to hug him.

\- Sooo...What do you say hot stuff? Wanna go for your turn? - suggestively whispered Anna in Arthur's ear as she bit and licked his earlobe.

Arthur just froze there. Anna was suggesting to make him orgasm; he was no expert, but he was educated enough on the matter to note in what could this night end if he were to agree with the proposal. For the briefest of moments, realization hit Arthur as he acknowledged both the taste in his mouth and the smell of her breath: alcohol, the strong one they had been serving at the party. _So...she's agreeing because she is drunk...Fuck me...I-I-...Argh...I can't do it_. It was hard saying those words, mainly because his penis was more than hard, and happy to follow Anna, but it felt wrong to take advantage of his best friend like that.

\- Actually...Anna...No...You are drunk - said Arthur as he started removing himself from Anna's top with a sad but flushed face.

\- What? But right now you just...don't you want me? - asked Anna in a tone that could make even the most innocent person feel as the guiltiest sinner.

\- No! I mean...I do want you, but this feels wrong Anna. I want to be with you with your full conscience...This doesn't feel right! It's like I'm taking advantage of you -

\- So you think this is not what I want? That it is because I drank more than what I'm used to? -

\- I never said that...Look... - started saying Arthur, but he was abruptly interrupted.

\- Get out - lowly commanded the girl.

\- What? Anna, please... - Arthur tried to reason with her.

\- I said: G.E.T O.U.T! - shouted Anna, as she invoked the water from the bouquet sitting on her vanity to make a little ice dagger pointing to Arthur's neck.

\- Very well, you win. I'll be leaving. Have sweet dreams Anna - grimly said Arthur as he bravely reached to kiss her forehead and slowly retreated.

The moment Arthur stepped away from her room, Anna threw the dagger towards the door in a rage of frustration, digging it deep into the wood as the tears started flowing from her eyes. She never realized that in her shouting, she actually broke the vanity's mirror, and as she reached it to try and clean the pieces, it reminded her that she was no ordinary girl: she was a mermaid, a being with a magical and powerful voice that could do things like this if she wasn't calm enough. When the sea of tears finally dried, she took what she had left of her dignity to wash herself from the makeup, the sweat and the liquid of her own orgasm, which was now dried up over her legs and kind of hurting her. The hot water made her calm down to think through the alcohol about what she had done and how she could actually apologize about everything to Arthur. She didn't think about it until now but, didn't Arthur clearly declare his love for her before almost having sex? She almost passed out at that moment due to pure embarrassment (well, maybe the heat from the bath was also starting to get her, but she was sure that the main reason was embarrassment). Needless to say, when she got out of the bath and into her bed, she had a rough night full of thinking and reflecting, with just the bare minimum of sleeping.

When Anna woke up she felt ready to seek Arthur for a much needed talk, but when she got ready to step out of her room, Merlin was waiting for her.

\- Good morning sunshine, I hope you slept well because the Sins and I need you ASAP -

\- What for? I need to speak with Arthur -

\- You can speak to him after both of your meetings, now come - ordered Merlin.

\- What meeting does he have? - asked Anna, blood almost boiling because of the childish treatment she was unfairly receiving from her teacher.

\- Didn't he tell you? He got to an agreement with the council: if he didn't decide who to marry before last night's party, the council will decide a proper princess to marry him and start the preparations for the engagement. I heard that it was going to be princess Calista from Alabasta; good thing that we have experience with that culture, right? - explained Merlin to a shook Anna who looked as if she had seen a demon.

\- I need to go right now...I can't let that happen - said Anna as she started to run off to the council meeting room, but in a matter of seconds she appeared in the military tactics room, where all the Sins where gathered and curiously watching her and Merlin, who transported them both into the middle of the room.

\- And I can't let you ruin yourself because of a boy - whispered Merlin as she tried to comfort Anna with a friendly hand over her shoulder - Well...now that everybody's here...Please Captain, do the honors of explaining the purpose of this emergency meeting -

Anna was taken aback in a way that didn't let her act on her own, but rather made her set herself on autopilot. She sat down between a concerned Elizabeth and a supportive Diane, both girls seemed to understand what Anna was feeling, and each of them took one of her hands in a sign of support and comprehension.

\- Oi Anna! Are you listening to me? This is important. In fact, it is so important that the fate of all Britannia is over us - reprimanded Meliodas.

\- Uh...Sorry, I wasn't listening. Could you repeat? Please? It's just that...Um...I didn't have breakfast - nervously lied Anna.

\- For reasons yet unknown to us, the Coffin of Eternal Darkness that the goddess' clan used to seal away the demon clan has been opened, and the Ten Commandments are roaming over Britannia again - darkly explained Meliodas.

\- How can you be so sure? - asked Anna.

\- Because I felt it - angrily answered Meliodas.

\- Right, and what's the plan? Run to them and expect them to surrender? Even if they are weak, we will only get killed - retorted Anna.

\- Anna, Meliodas has a pretty large amount of his power sealed away by the druids, we are going to see them for training and then we will start the battle tactics. That's the first part of the plan - explained Merlin.

\- And what I'm needed for? I'm not a Sin and I will only get killed if I go - stated Anna, now being a smartass and freeing herself from her friends' grasp.

\- As a mermaid, you have plenty of potential to develop, and it will surely come in handy while fighting the Commandments - spoke King, lazily floating above Anna with the help of Chastiefol and looking curiously at the girl's pale face as he referred to her as a mermaid.

\- Don't panic, I told them - hurried Merlin to reassure her.

\- Argh...Ok, let me get things straight...You are asking me to leave my life in Camelot to possibly die while fighting the Demon King's most powerful soldiers in order to possibly save Brittania? - asked Anna, yet again with the intention of being a smartass.

\- As my apprentice, I can't leave you here Anna. Please, just calm down and... - started saying Merlin before being interrupted.

\- Thank you, but I said no. I'm going to stay here as Commander - calmly said Anna as she stood up from her place and started walking towards the door.

\- So you're going to throw everything you have achieved and are because Arthur is getting married? Do you really want to live the rest of your life as a Commander so you can see him grow a family with somebody who's not you? - shouted Merlin, clearly with the intention of hurting Anna, but at least she managed to stop her.

\- We are leaving early tomorrow, we are expecting you tonight at the Boar's Hat to leave early without bothering anyone - stated Meliodas as he, and everybody else, watched as the crying knight hurriedly left the room.

As that day in the infirmary, Anna got away as fast as she could from the military tactics room and hid herself before anybody could see her crying her heart out loud. She started to get calm the moment she remembered her broken vanity, so she slowly got herself together and just let herself slid down to the floor until she was sitting over the velvet carpet. The softness felt nice underneath her gloveless fingers, and the cold wall against the flesh left exposed by the crop top she was wearing sent a little shiver down her spine that let her cool down after running away. She hated to admit it, but maybe Merlin was right and she had way more potential to only be the king's bodyguard; now the idea of going away with the Sins and leave Arthur behind was sounding more tempting than a few moments ago, and she was willing to follow through as long as she could be able to forget Arthur. As she walked towards her room to pack her things, one of the guards stopped her.

\- Anna! Emm...I mean...Commander! We need you in the training court! Is urgent! - panted the man.

\- Woah...what is it? - asked Anna with deep concern.

\- An Alabastan representative is disputing with the First Lieutenant and king Arthur is nowhere to be found to settle the matter! -

\- For the goddess' sake...Nayru is going to set hell loose. Thank you cadet, I'll deal with this -

Nayru was a child prodigy of a thief's gang when Anna and Merlin found her in Alabasta, and she felt compelled to bring her to Camelot after the girl said she was willing to change in order to become a great fighter like her. She could be whatever she wanted to be in a kingdom like Camelot, since she was the perfect combination of brains and beauty; she had tanned skin, beautiful yellow eyes, and a peculiar burgundy bunch of curly hair that the girl liked to keep loose, looking as if it was a lion's mane. Since Anna was serving as Arthur's bodyguard more than commander of the holy knights (her formal title in the kingdom's army ranks), she left Nayru as her second in command, and she was proud of the development she made with just a little more discipline than she had with the thieves, and just at the age of 16. When Anna arrived to the training court, a fighting circle had already been made, and in the center there were Nayru, with her cocky victory smile, and princess Calista's personal bodyguard: a brute named Baroque. The guy was having it rough, and he was about to deliver a blow to Nayru when a deafening sound made everybody shriek and shield, as it was so strong that all the nearby windows shattered.

\- What is the meaning of all this? - nearly shouted Anna, with fire in her blood and venom in her tongue.

\- This bitch here pretends to take control of the kingdom's army! - rushed to say Nayru as she spat into Baroque's direction.

\- Very well...Look, I fully trust my First Lieutenant, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt um...Commander? So please explain yourself - demanded Anna, slowly invoking Kraken as she sensed something bad coming from this man.

\- Well, the princess cannot come into a foreign nation with an army whom she doesn't know nor trust, so I'm making some changes in advance - explained the man.

\- And with who's authority exactly? I'm in command here and I never gave you permission to mess around here - defied Anna,

\- Well...Since my princess is going to be your boss, it's only fair to assume that I'll have more sayings in this matter than you - responded Baroque as he gained echoes of "boo"s and "ooh"s from the rest of the knights.

\- Okay now you sure made me angry, but let's make things interesting fella. If you win a combat against me, you'll have my guys, but if I win, you'll tell your little whiny ass princess that if she ever dares to move MY guys, I'll personally come and give her a piece of my mind. Deal? - dared Anna as she extended her hand.

\- Deal - smirked Baroque as he took Anna's hand.

\- Bitch you are soooo done! Get him Anna! - cheered Nayru as the rest of the knights joined the teenager in a wave of applauses and shouts of encouragement.

Due to her time around Alabasta with Merlin and the constant training with Nayru, Anna was quite acknowledged with Baroque's possible fighting style: dirty. Since Alabasta was an Eastern kingdom, it was no surprise that this guy's magic had something to do with fire, and he thought he had the fight won as he tried to strike the first blow, but his hand was stopped by a golden lasso that was sucking the water out of his body, and the girl handling said weapon had nothing but confidence in her smile. She pulled Baroque towards her and delivered a single and powerful fist into his jaw, which made him loose a teeth when he spat some blood as he tried to get up. _This asshole is done for_.

Since princess Calista was invited to his party last night, Arthur had the duty to show her around the palace as his council instructed him. She was a sweet girl, and was the pure embodiment of an exotic beauty: the long black curls that felt like silk to the touch, the soft and dark skin, the deep brown eyes and lips so plump that looked like they were inviting Arthur into kissing them, but there was certain knight in his mind that didn't let him appreciate this girl before him. He had wanted to speak with Anna, but he was rushed into talking with the councilmen, and when he was free, she was in a meeting with the Sins. Now he was stuck with having to actually bond with his "future wife", so he started the tour by showing her the gardens, the stables and such; he was scared of taking her to see the training grounds, but she insisted that her bodyguard was surely there and that she needed him around to go around the town. As they were getting closer, Arthur could hear shouting, walls being hit with force and the undeniable sound of the use of magic, which could only mean that some knights were fighting rough, but he never expected the pair that appeared before his eyes as he arrived with the princess: Anna and Calista's bodyguard, and he was badly losing. Anna had replaced Kraken with a lasso made of water, and the guy was struggling to invoke even a pinch of his own magic as he was trying to get her through an opening, but Anna deflected him gracefully, almost like in a dance of mockery. She appeared to be done playing with her prey, and managed to get him with the lasso at the neck, making him drop to his knees as Anna pulled him over to her.

\- So...I guess I won fella, so you better not mess with my troops okay? Because my Lieutenant is more of a beast than me, and she will not show mercy. Do I make myself clear? - said Anna, clearly pissed as she put her foot over the guy's shoulder so she could give him the menacing look up close.

\- Y-Yes! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! - cried out the guy, pleading for his life.

\- What is the meaning of this? - shouted Calista as she stepped into the training grounds and made the circle of knights dissolve around her until she reached the fighters.

\- Who exactly are you? - asked Anna with annoyance as she evaporated the water lasso with her magic.

\- I'm princess Calista of Alabasta! And I will not have it that a low excuse of a knight goes around beating my bodyguard for nothing! - shouted the princess as she turned around - Arthur! Do something! -

\- Actually, sweetheart... - started Anna without even acknowledging Arthur's presence - I'm the Commander here, and your low excuse of a bodyguard started ordering MY troops around as if he was the boss, so you better know your place along with him. Here the army is independent of the king, the boss is Commander Nayru now and if you have a problem with it, deal it with fighting and beating my girl. I dare you - stated Anna with an air of cockiness and superiority towards the pissed princess.

\- You should be revoked of your knighthood - she hissed.

\- Aw don't worry babe, I won't be serving as a knight from now on. Do with that shit of a title as you wish -

Many people tried to stop Anna from going away, but as soon as she got out of the training grounds, she transported herself into her room to start packing her things. She didn't have much things, so Anna fuelled her trunk with her civilian clothes, her armor, her undergarments, shoes and a couple of weapons. When she was done, she started her bath while ignoring all the callings that were being made at her door; maybe everybody thought that she had gone crazy, but she was actually letting herself truly be free for once. Right now, she felt like the most powerful woman in the entire world, and no one could throw her from her pedestal right now. When she finished her bath and got dressed with her favorite combo of red pants, black boots and white shirt, she transported herself with her things to the Boar's Hat.

The first floor of the moving tavern was still closed to the public since it was just 5 o' clock, but the vast majority of the Sins were gathered there, and Anna surprised them all with her arrival.

\- Anna-chan! It's good to see you after what happened this morning- exclaimed Meliodas.

\- Yeah...It's great to see you after the little number you pulled at the castle this afternoon young lady - said Merlin from a table almost in the corner of the tavern.

\- Whaaat? The righteous knight started problems? Weeell that's something new! - laughed Ban.

\- Problems? She nearly started a conflict between kingdoms because she kicked the shit out the princess' bodyguard - sighed Merlin as she rolled her eyes at Anna.

\- I was not leaving the knights at the mercy of that whiny bitch and his asshole bodyguard, I want to see them trying to go over Nayru. Disclaimer: she won't let them - laughed Anna towards Ban.

\- Out of all of the capable people that Camelot has in order to replace you...You go and pick the highly imprudent and fight-picker girl that we got out of a thief's gang in none other than Alabasta? - asked Merlin, clearly not believing Anna.

\- Of course. She may be a mess, but she's an excellent knight and she will make Calista's life in Camelot a living hell - happy yet mischievously explained Anna as Diane, Ban and Meliodas applauded her plan from behind her back.

\- Well, I guess there's nothing left to do there - started saying Merlin as she headed upstairs - Oh, I almost forgot. Some of the guys came looking for you, and I told them they could come in the night to see you just if they didn't tell Arthur - she sighed as she decided that her motherly job was done and started heading towards her room upstairs.

\- That's why you're the best! So, Meliodas-san, where can I settle? -

After settling her trunk in Merlin's room, Anna was forced by Meliodas to change into the tavern's uniform for the girls and work as a waitress along Elizabeth. She heard that Meliodas was a pervert, but having his comrade and her wearing that uniform was beyond ridiculous, not even the most racy designer in Camelot would dare to present this to the public. She never had that much of a cleavage, but this backless, tight, sleeveless and deep blue button shirt made it seem like she went two cup sizes up, and the white skirt with openings to the sides was absurdly short; although the accessories (a tie and a single long sock that matched the deep blue of the skirt) and the mismatching shoes were cute, she felt like a sexual object just by seeing herself on the mirror. _I really hope that I get to wear my regular clothes out of work_. She shrugged at her own reflection on the mirror and decided to head downstairs and join the others.

It was still early for customers to arrive at the tavern, but as Anna and Elizabeth were cleaning tables together, the door opened with a loud bang. Nayru came running into the bar as soon as she saw Anna, and the rest of the knights followed her with enthusiasm as they saw the image of their former commander, some of them staying a little behind due to the never appreciated before body thanks to the skimpy outfit.

\- Oh my God, Anna! Please don't go! - started sobbing Nayru as she hugged Anna.

\- Please commander! Don't leave us at her mercy! - a young knight joked, resulting in Nayru punching him in the stomach and a little dispute forming among the crowd.

\- Silence! - ordered Anna, and everyone followed - Look, the Calista issue is big and I know it, but do you really think that our girl Nayru will let herself be trampled over? Because I don't, and she's the best chance you have to stand up for yourselves and not as the king's forces -

\- And why are you leaving? YOU are our true best chance against that girl - pouted Nayru.

\- Merlin used to be a part of the Seven Deadly Sins, and since she needs to go with them, I'm following - explained Anna as she fidgeted with the cloth she was using to clean the tables - But let's change those sad faces! I'm not your commander, but I consider you all my friends; let's drink! - she cheerily proposed, trying to cover the half lie that she just told everyone.

That being said, the knights and the Sins (mainly the lazy asses that were evading their job like Ban) started drinking together. Some other people came and went through the night, but the true life of the tavern was in the group that was drinking in Anna's honor. They respected Anna as a superior, but some of the knights still took the opportunity to bring up some things into the light, like love confessions and truths that needed to be uncovered (like what happened with the mysterious blue-horses incident some months ago); although everybody was drunk and doing ridiculous things, nothing went farther from an Alabastan belly dance contest between Anna and Nayru over some tables while the rest of the drunken group cheered for the girls. Anna felt that this was the happiest moment in her life, and when sunrise started approaching, it was time to really let go of Camelot. The knights had it rough to step out of the tavern due to the alcohol and the tears in everybody's eyes, but they managed to do it with Anna's magic as she transported the group to the closest gate; she didn't feel strong enough to watch them as the giant green pig stood up and took the tavern with the Sins and her far away from Camelot, but she felt like she was being liberated from the heaviest weight in her life.

 _Meanwhile, near the ruins of Danafor_

\- Do you feel that brother? - asked the tall man.

\- Without a doubt, it is merfolk magic, and with quite a powerful holder - answered the short one - It would result in a strong ally if we can get it's holder to trust us -

\- Leave that to the Commandment of Love, dear brother. I have a plan to make the little fish willingly join us - smirked the demon


End file.
